Emerald Mountain to be closed this weekend for mountain bike race and marathon (08-07-12)

CRAIG, Colo. – The Emerald Mountain Special Recreation Management Area west of Steamboat Springs will be closed this Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 11-12, for the Steamboat Stinger Mountain Bike Race and Marathon.

Both the 50-mile bike race and the marathon begin and end at the Howelson Hill Ski Area in Steamboat Springs. About 15 miles of roads and trails within the Emerald Mountain SRMA, including the Ridge Trail, Cow Creek Road, and Beall Trail, are part of the race courses.

"Because of the anticipated participation of this race, Emerald Mountain will be closed to all other recreational uses for the weekend for the safety and health of our other users," said Wendy Reynolds, Field Manager with the Bureau of Land Management’s Little Snake Field Office, which manages the Emerald Mountain SRMA. "We appreciate the public's patience during this event and the temporary inconvenience it might cause our other users."

The SRMA will only be closed Aug. 11-12, but set-up for the course will begin Aug. 9. The area will re-open Aug. 13. No more than 400 racers are allowed under the race’s special use permit.

For more information, contact the BLM Little Snake Field Office at 970-826-5000.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2014, the BLM generated $5.2 billion in receipts from public lands.